Crew Quarters
Raider II class corvette- “Instigator”
Fire…blood…chaos…death. But whose death? All the faces were obscured. The harder she concentrated on them the more they slipped away. Silence…the deadly blanket of the cold vacuum of space surrounded… penetrated to her very core. A village…Rylothian. More chaos and death. Somewhere a child was crying. Faint…distant…yet somehow it drowned out all other sounds. All but one…that voice–
Tweet bloop
The sound of the door indicator startled the small Twi’lek from her meditation. She was so focused on her vision, she hadn’t even felt the presence of her former master approaching. Taking a deep breath, she filled her mind with the here and now. Analyzing the vision would have to wait.
“Come in,” she said, remaining seated cross legged in the middle of the floor. “What do you want this time, Aleister?” she queried without looking up.
Aleister entered the modest crew quarters of his most judgmental student. He reveled in the disdainful side eye she sent him as he stepped into the room. His presence made her visibly uncomfortable, but that wasn’t anything new. Aleister enjoyed getting under her skin.
“We have a job,” he said while absently picking up the one decorative item in the room, a relic from Ryloth that he had seen many times since he signed up to train the diminutive tailhead. “I think you might even like this one.”
Sinya’ni tried unsuccessfully to not glare at him. She knew if she brought attention to her feelings about the kilikori, he would damage it in some way. “Fine, I’ll meet you in the briefing room. You can set my things down gently and leave now.” The words burrowed into the battlemaster’s subconscious.
Aleister’s pink face looked confused for a second as he set the heirloom down. “I’ll set this down and leave now,” he said and exited the room. He stopped outside and shook his head realizing what just happened. “That’s why I keep her around. That ability is damn useful when she’s not using it on me.”
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Briefing Room
Raider II class corvette - “Instigator”
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When Sinya’ni arrived, the usual suspects were already gathered. A tall red haired human, Taranae wasn’t a tactical genius but she didn’t really need to be. Her unchecked aggression overwhelmed most opposition. Next to her was a cocksure human pilot with a mop of dark hair. Zuser was still getting used to a prosthetic arm after being maimed in a recent crash.
Next was TuQ. He was a typical Kel Dor with the breathing apparatus and goggles. He once said it had something to do with his planet’s atmosphere being composed of different gasses. He sometimes commiserated with Sinya’ni’s frustration about the smash and grab tactics typically employed by Battle Team Opress. Next to him was one of the newest members of the group. The furry black Shistavanen accentuated the vast divide in tactics. He did not even speak a coherent language but communicated in growls and grunts like some animal. He was also a vicious warrior, using his claws to rip apart enemies, which helped perpetuate the question of his sentience.
“This is the mission,” Aleister broke into the Twi’lek’s silent appraisal of her comrades as he brought up a holoimage of an Pelta- class republic frigate. “This ship belongs to the Hutts and was recently spotted in Plegueian space. It is rumored to be collecting slaves from amongst the outlier systems.” He combed a hand through his black and red hair as he looked directly at the Twi’lek. “Now, I don’t personally have an issue with slavery. However, our leaders have tasked us with stopping this intrusion and returning the slaves to their former homes.”
Sinya’ni smiled. Aleister was right. This was finally a mission she could support. Not to mention the other possibilities a job like this afforded. She looked across the display to the reddish face of the Kel Dor. Once Aleister finished the briefing, she would need to talk strategy with her soon to be accomplice.
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Corridor
Raider II class corvette - “Instigator”
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TuQ’uan contemplated what he had just heard. He wasn’t sure whether to be shocked or impressed with Sinya, but it was certainly an interesting proposition. Betray the team and steal the ship for themselves? It certainly wasn’t the first time TuQ had committed a treacherous act like this…and who was he kidding, it probably wouldn’t be the last. Sure, Aleister would be livid. But unlike the majority of Opress, shoot first, ask questions later wasn’t really the Kel Dor’s style. He was more of a “splice now, never let them know you were here” kind of guy.
Sinya stood staring up at theTuQ’uan, an annoyed look grew across her cyan face as she awaited his response. She was taking a huge gamble approaching him with this, but she wasn’t sure she could pull it off alone. If he refused her offer, TuQ could make a lot of trouble for Sinya, but if he accepted, they would certainly make a formidable team. Either way he needed to make a decision, and fast, if they stayed huddled in this corner of the Instigator much longer someone was bound to get suspicious, and that would be problematic.
TuQ reached up and adjusted the wide brimmed hat that sat perched upon his head, swapping a dazed look for one of confidence.
“I’m in.”
The Twi’lek breathed a sigh of relief.
“Good,” she replied. “I have a plan. But we’re going to need a distraction.”
Just then, somewhere deep in the bowels of the Instigator, the resident wolf-man let out a blood curdling howl.
“But I think that will be the easy part.” Her royal blue lips stretched into a smirk. “I’ll fill you in on the way, someone will notice if we aren’t in the hangar soon.”
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Shuttle
Outside Pelta-class republic frigate
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The ride over from the Instigator had been eventful to say the least. While the members of Battleteam Opress were crammed into the hold of the shuttle, ready to rush in guns blazing, their fearless pilot Zuser waited for the perfect time to make his move. Turbolaser fire streamed across the space between the Instigator and its target as Aleister circled around their quarry drawing its attention away from the shuttle floating silently in space. Once the Hutt ship had eclipsed the Instigator Zuser threw full power to the shuttles systems and turned to yell at the Savages behind him.
“Hold on! This is going to be fun!”
Furios glowered at the pilot as the ship lurched forward, unnecessarily juking from side to side, quickly closing in on the distracted Pelta-class republic frigate and it’s open hangar bay.
“Whee!” Taranae threw her hands in the air and squealed with joy.
In typical Zuser fashion the shuttle bounced across the hangar floor before skidding to a halt.
“Sorry team, still getting used to the arm.” He poked a few buttons with his cybernetic hand. “But the shuttle’s still flyable!”
TuQ’uan let out a groan as he unstrapped himself from his harness and took note of the rest of the team; everyone seemed to be unharmed.
“Alright, everyone out. You have a mission.” Aleister’s voice called through their comms.
Zuser punched the door controls and, just as Sinya had predicted, a low growl emanated from Fenrir before he took off running at full speed, with no sense of caution. He was out for blood and that would work perfectly for the next part of Sinya’s master plan.
A flash of red whizzed by as the juggernaut Taranae, with her trademark enthusiasm for chaos and violence, didn’t want to miss out on the fun. With that, tact had gone out the viewport and they entered full smash’n’grab mode. The team were once again living up to their title as Savages.
Azmodius removed a flask from the holster strapped to his right leg and took a large gulp before offering it to his di Plagian master, Furios.
“Party time people!” he cried out with a massive grin on his face before retrieving his flask from the massive Epicanthix and exiting the shuttle with a wobble in his step.
Everyone quickly followed suit with Sinya and TuQ’uan bringing up the rear. Outside the shuttle alarms were sounding as the crew of the ship moved to greet their uninvited guests. Luckily the Pelta’s security had been unprepared for a crash landing in their port side hangar, giving the Savages a head start.
Fenrir furiously pounded his hairy fists against the door leading out of the hangar in a futile effort to break it down. TuQ let out a sigh and spliced into a nearby terminal. With a hiss the door slid open, nearly causing the hulking wolf-like figure to fall forward from the momentum of his attack.
“Our objective is to the left, I’m sending you directions now,” the Kel Dor shouted into the hallway as Battleteam Opress began their push into enemy territory.
TuQ nodded to Sinya signaling the start of the next phase of their plan. While Opress went left, the co-conspirators went right.
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Starboard Corridor
Pelta - class republic frigate
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“You know what to do. I’ll meet you at the bridge.” The small Twi’lek looked like a child next to the average sized Kel Dor, but that is exactly why this plan was bound to work. She squeezed into the ventilation shaft as her partner closed the access port. It was a tight squeeze; however, she navigated the tunnels as easily as a crystal snake.
TuQ’s deep gravelly voice spoke in her ear. “I’ve made it to the turbolift. No resistance so far.”
“Acknowledged, almost to the control panel. Stand by.” Sinya squeezed out of a vent into a sealed room. The solitary door that led out of the room was mag sealed and guarded from the outside. No one expected an attack from inside the room. In a matter of moments, she had sliced into the mainframe and had control of the ship’s systems. “There, the turbolift should take you directly to the bridge. As soon as you’re there, I’ll seal it off.”
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Bridge
Pelta - class republic frigate
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The bridge crew was frantically trying to regain control of the security system. The intruders had somehow disabled all their internal sensors. “Status report!” the captain snapped.
“Unknown, sir. We haven’t gotten the sensors back. Last we saw, the intruders were making their way up the port side,” answered a nervous crewman. “Maybe we could–“
“I’m here,” TuQ said as he stepped off the elevator. Everyone on the bridge turned towards the newcomer as the doors slammed shut and the air pressure suddenly dropped….
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Port Corridor
Pelta - class republic frigate
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The Savages had worked their way forward towards the bridge elevator. The security for the capital ship was no match for the ferocity of Battleteam Opress. Hundreds of the unfortunate crewmen lay dead or dying along the team’s path.
“Little Blue, did you get those controls hacked yet? We are at the elevators,” the red headed Warlord inquired. Despite using lightsabers and blasters, Taranae still managed to get covered in blood. Not hers, of course. Her victims tend to bleed and suffer before she dispatches their souls to the afterlife, if there is such a thing.
“Not yet, stand by,” the tinny sound of the comlink relayed the young Twi’lek’s voice. “Oh kark…RUN! I’ve tripped some sort of failsafe. The whole ship is decompressing! Get out now!”
Almost on cue, the air began to get thin as it was sucked from the corridor.
“You heard her, let’s go! We can come back with pressure suits,” Zuser exclaimed, already twenty paces down the hall. The bloodstained team took a deep breath and held it as they dashed back to the docking bay. As they boarded the shuttle and breathed the life giving oxygen of the small craft, Aleister was on the comlink demanding an update.
“What the hell is going on over there? Hello? Answer me!”
“Your Twi’lek stray screwed us,” the tall Epicanthix growled. “I knew you shouldn’t have let the kid on this mission.”
“We can discuss that later. Is everyone on the shuttle? Zuser, prep for takeoff. We can regroup on the ‘Instigator’.” Aleister’s words did not contain the same message his tone had conveyed. The battle team leader was furious. The mission was a failure due to his former apprentice’s incompetence, which meant it was also his failure.
“Where is the little skank…and TuQ as well? They should both be back by now!” Taranae inquired while everyone strapped in and Zuser prepped the engines. “Sinya, TuQ. Where the Kark are you?” she snapped into the comlink.
“I’m…I’m…not going to make it. I’m stuck in the ventilation shaft…go without me. You’ll never get me out in time,” the Rutian responded.
“I’m fine, but the blast doors are locked down. I’ll find my own way back,” the Kel Dor’s voice answered through the coms. “I’ll see if I can get to the kid.”
“Time is up, we’ve got company exiting hyperspace,” Aleister interrupted. “They must have gotten their distress call out. Get back here now! We’ll have to extract them later.”
Zuser launched the shuttle and the battle team rejoined their flagship. The “Instigator” disappeared in a streak of starlines as they made their escape.
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Briefing Room
Raider II class corvette- “Instigator”
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“Kark!” Aleister exclaimed while pacing the floor in the briefing room. The remaining members of the team were gathered there. “What happened? It should have been an easy score. What the hell happened?”
“It went fine until we arrived at the elevator. That’s when Sinya tripped some failsafe. There was nothing we could do.” Taranae was glaring at the mission map with an intensity that should have set it aflame. “There was nothing we could do…”
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Bridge
Pelta - class republic frigate
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“Do you think they suspect us?” The Twi’lek was pacing, her tchin twitching uncontrollably.
“No, how could they? We played them perfectly. They couldn’t know,” TuQ answered confidently. “So, what now?”
“Well…I guess we need to clean up this mess and find ourselves a crew,” she replied while glancing around at all the death. The entire bridge crew lay suffocated at their stations except for a few that met their end on TuQ’s blade.
“It is time to build our team. Only ours will be professional. Not bloodthirsty savages. We will be smart and calculated. As cunning as the night sisters. We should name our team Talzin. And we shall rise in silence….Soon children will be telling scary stories about the shadows that kill. Battle team Talzin. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Authored by Sinya Ani & TuQ’uan Varick di Plagia